


everything will glow for you

by Mrs-BobbiWinchester (Skyeward_captasha)



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: ADD/ADHD Skye | Daisy Johnson, Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Autistic Jemma Simmons, Bisexual Jemma Simmons, Bisexual Skye | Daisy Johnson, Christmas Decorations, Coming Out, Domestic Fluff, Drunk Jemma Simmons, F/F, Friends With Benefits, Hangover, Leo Fitz & Jemma Simmons Friendship, Masturbation, Mutual Pining, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rated E for future chapters, Sex Toys, Sexuality Crisis, Sharing Body Heat, Sharing a Bed, Showers, Sickfic, Skye | Daisy Johnson Feels, Slow Burn, Thanksgiving, The Retreat Safe House (Marvel), Undercover Missions, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Vaginal Fingering, semi explicit tags start here lol, set between episodes 2x07 and 2x08
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:13:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27754384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyeward_captasha/pseuds/Mrs-BobbiWinchester
Summary: Canon diverging between episodes 7 and 8 of season 2, Skye and Simmons get sent on a long-term undercover operation. When things go awry and they're suddenly in closer quarters than planned, they both start catching feelings. This is problematic for many reasons, as Simmons doesn't even think she's queer, and Skye doesn't want to get hurt again so soon after what happened with Ward.This work is complete and will have 30 chapters, and I plan to update every Saturday. Rated E for future chapters, though nothing truly goes down until chapter 22. Until then, it's a solid T.
Relationships: Jemma Simmons/Skye | Daisy Johnson
Comments: 15
Kudos: 57





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title of the fic from the Lorde song "The Love Club"
> 
> Comments don't make me update faster, but they warm my cold, dead, heart :)

“Agents Simmons and Skye, please report to my office as soon as possible,” Coulson said via intercom. 

Jemma Simmons looked up from her work station in the lab, her eyebrows furrowed and her mouth slightly downturned in confusion. She made eye contact with Fitz, who just shrugged and went back to his work while she took off her gloves and lab coat, shaking her head a couple of times and running her fingers through her hair to put some life back into the sections that had been crushed by the elastic band on her goggles. 

Skye jogged to catch up with the Brit, her own hair pulled back into a braid with her bangs laying over her forehead just a bit messily, like she’d run her fingers through them recently. “Any clue what this is about?” She asked, putting her hands in the pockets of her jeans while they walked. 

Simmons shook her head and knocked on the door to the Director’s office, greeting him with a tight-lipped smile. “Yes, Sir?” She asked brightly. 

“Have a seat, both of you.” Coulson gestured to the two chairs in front of his desk, shutting the manila folder he had been going through prior to their entry. 

Skye and Simmons did an awkward dance as they tried to figure out who would sit where, complete with awkward gestures and half- finished sentences. “No, I insist,” Simmons finally said, pointing to the chair on Director Coulson’s left. Skye obliged and took a seat, crossing her legs at the knee and beginning to fidget idly in her lap. Coulson simply watched them, an amused smile on his face that faded just as quickly as it appeared. 

“I have a mission for the two of you.” He clicked a button on his desk, and the screen behind them lit up, one part of it zooming in on the East Coast until it finally settled on Boston, Massachusetts. “This is a long-term undercover operation involving surveillance and reconnaissance. If all goes as planned, neither of you will see combat. That doesn’t guarantee anything, though, so we’ll be supplying your home with various weapons as well as the equipment you will be needing for the daily activities of the op.” 

“Which are?” Skye asked, an eyebrow raised. 

“You both will be working at a private military technology group, as I have it on good authority that the organization has been infiltrated by HYDRA. You two will be starting in R&D, Skye you on the tech side of things and Simmons, you on the biological side. Neither of you is to design anything new, just make additions to their projects. If it comes to a point where you have to design something new, we will deal with that when it comes up.” 

On the screen, photos of their future workplace were flipping by, while the other side of the screen had switched to have 2 Massachusetts drivers’ licenses, issued to Poppy Smith and Amelia Chen. The side of the screen that had shown their workplace changed to show their future home. It was modest, a ranch style house with a couple of small trees in the front yard, a two stall garage, a fenced in backyard, and a finished basement that had been converted into a combination home gym and laundry room. 

"S.H.I.E.L.D. has possessed this home for a bit now, so it's easier for us to lie and say that you rent it. Don't worry about any of the logistics of this, just focus on getting acquainted with your neighbors, coworkers, and blending in while also gathering intelligence. Agent Simmons, this isn't your first rodeo, so I don't have to explain the intricacies of undercover work to you. It's in part for that reason that you were chosen for this op. Your success while working at HYDRA was commendable, and you would make an excellent field operative if you should ever reconsider your assignment." Coulson offered her a joking smile, to which she chuckled politely. 

"Why was I chosen?" Skye asked, her eyebrows furrowed. 

"Partially for your expertise in computer sciences, and partially due to your compatibility with Agent Simmons. You two won't have to act like you're friends; you actually are friends. That'll make this easier on both of you. The house is set up so that the two bedrooms are on basically opposite sides of the home, so the quarters won't be too close, which should make the transition easier. It won't be the closest you two have lived yet, but it will be different than living on base." Coulson gestured to photos of the interior of the house and its floor plan projected on the screen as he spoke, both Skye and Simmons nodding along. 

"When do we leave?" Simmons asked. 

"Tomorrow morning, barring any unforeseen complications that arise here on base before then. So, now that you two have been briefed, I'll leave you the rest of the day to get your things in order and get ready to leave. Bring your clothes, but you both will be able to go out shopping while you're stationed there in Boston. So, don't worry about bringing them all. Also, don't worry about any electronics, S.H.I.E.L.D. will provide both personal and mission-only cell phones as well as laptops for both work and personal usage while undercover. That is in addition to all of the tech that's necessary for the op and the security system in the house." He paused and looked at them both, a small smile on his face. "You two will be well taken care of," he added softly. 

Both women smiled back at him and got up to leave, Simmons rushing off to the lab to put away her project and leave instructions for Fitz to follow to complete it when she was away. She explained the circumstances to him and then went off to pack, like Skye had done immediately. 

It didn't take Skye very long to pack. She still didn't have a lot, so between her clothes and her hula girl, her duffle bag was far from full. She decided to throw in another pair of sneakers, what she called her "fun shoes" because they made her legs look about a mile long, and a couple of her toys. Her bisexuality wasn't a secret, and if this was about to be anything like her time on the Bus had been, she'd find herself uncomfortably horny after about a week in close quarters with another person. 

Simmons, on the other hand, was having quite a hard time deciding what things to leave on base. She didn't believe in ebooks, so she was currently trying to decide between a well-worn copy of _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_ and an equally loved copy of _The Catcher in the Rye._ She eventually decided on the latter and stuck it in her bag, right behind the box with some of her favorite pieces of jewelry. She double checked her list of things she wanted to bring before zipping up her bag, leaving it by the door to her bunk and going to lay down on her bed to rest and decompress before she had to go. 


	2. Chapter 2

Sleep didn't come easy for either woman that night. When Skye finally gave up on trying to sleep naturally, she decided she'd head down to medical for some Benadryl or NyQuil. Nobody was down there, so she didn't have to worry about anyone seeing her. She grabbed the box of Benadryl tablets, figuring that she was bound to have a lot more nights like this--where she couldn't shut off her mind--in the near future. 

Simmons tossed and turned in her bed, pulling her pillow over her head and groaning loudly into it. She turned over onto her side and lifted the pillow up so she could read the display on her alarm clock, groaning again when she realized that it wasn’t even 2am yet. She got up, pulled a long cardigan and some slippers on, and padded down to the kitchen area to make herself some tea since her own personal stash was already packed for the mission. She was almost there when she heard a crashing and shattering noise from the lab, followed by muffled cursing, so she turned around and went to investigate. She tiptoed to the lab entry, her breathing shallow and through her mouth to avoid any ill-timed nose whistles. She exhaled loudly in relief when she came face to face with Skye, though her relief quickly faded to worry when she realized that Skye was sitting on the floor, surrounded by glass that had fallen off a metal cart and broken. 

She sprang into action, grabbing a broom and dustpan and clearing a path for Skye to sit down in one of the lab techs’ chairs. “What happened?” She asked quietly while she continued sweeping up. 

“Couldn’t sleep… came down to get something to help me out.” She waved the box of Benadryl absently while she spoke, finding herself unable to look away from her as she worked. “I was almost done with this level of Candy Crush that I’ve been trying to beat for days now, and I must’ve gotten distracted and walked into the cart.” She rubbed at the back of her neck with her other hand. She quickly looked away from Simmons and started to get up. “I’m so sorry if I woke you. I can finish up here… I don’t want you to miss sleep because of me.” 

“No, let me finish. And you didn’t wake me… I couldn’t sleep either. I came down to make a pot of tea, but then I heard the glass shatter and the cart hit the wall and I got worried. You know how I am.” She gave Skye a small smile, which put the younger woman at ease. “Would you like to join me?” She asked quietly, looking up at her. 

“Thank you, but I think I’m good. This is already starting to make me pretty-” She was interrupted by a big yawn. “-sleepy.” 

“Alright. I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Skye,” Simmons got up and threw the broken glass away in the glass container, unable to stop herself from turning around to watch Skye as she left. She made herself a pot of tea and took it back up to her room, falling asleep relatively easy after that. 

Skye woke up feeling just a little bit drowsy still from the Benadryl but knew it’d go away with a fair amount of caffeine. She showered, blow-dried her hair and brushed it straight, dressed, and took her bag down to where it’d be loaded onto the QuinJet. She made herself a rather large cup of coffee, added way more milk than most people would deem necessary, and sipped it while she walked around the base, simply taking it all in for what would be the last time for months. She got distracted and wound up on the Bus, sitting in the little booth in which she’d played Battleship with Ward. She closed her eyes and let herself reminisce for just a bit before pulling herself together and getting up, but not without a sad smile and a vaguely far-away look in her eyes. She walked down to the lab and found herself thinking back to the first time she’d been in there (arguing with Fitz, Simmons, and Ward) and how it felt like a lifetime ago that she’d been pulled out of her van. Those feelings of nostalgia prompted her to seek out Coulson, but he didn’t have much time, so she made her goodbye quick. 

“I, um.. I wandered onto the Bus this morning, and it got me thinking about the past, and I just… I wanted to thank you. For everything. Mostly for believing in me… I know I don’t make it easy to like me, but you always have.” She smiled awkwardly and tugged on her fingers as she talked. “I don’t know why I’m getting all sappy today.” She forced a chuckle and looked up at Coulson, who was smiling slightly back at her. 

“Thank you, Skye. If you need me, reach out through May. Her number is programmed into the satellite phones that we’re providing in case of emergency.” He stiffened slightly when Skye hugged him but hugged her back for a moment. “I have things to do. Stay safe, please.” He sat back down at his desk, and Skye left, shutting the door behind her. 

On her way down to the kitchen to put her cup in the dishwasher, she passed the lab, so she poked her head in and found Simmons instructing all the lab techs on how her current projects need to be stored and maintained so she can come back to them when the mission is over. Fitz was absorbed in his own work, not hearing a word she said. When she’d finished her speech, she turned around and almost ran right into Skye.

“Oh! I’m so sorry; I didn’t see you there. Did you need something?” She tucked her hair behind her ear and began to tidy up her desk area, sliding papers into filing folders, the filing folders into an accordion, and the accordion into a locked drawer. 

“Just figured I’d stop in and see how you’re holding up. I’m super nervous,” Skye admitted, playing with her fingers again. 

“Oh, that’s normal. I was terrified before my first undercover op. But don’t worry, you’ll have me there the whole time.” She smiled reassuringly. “I was just on my way to double check my bags before we leave… Do you know who’s flying us?”

“Uh, nope,” Skye said with a chuckle. “I guess we’ll find out… better hope it’s not Bobbi, otherwise Hunter will be coming along too, and he won’t shut up the whole flight,” she teased. “Anyways. I’m off to go put this in the dishwasher and then say goodbye to everybody. I guess I’ll start with Fitz since I’m in here.” She walked over to Fitz and tapped the tabletop softly, not wanting to startle him too badly. “Fitz? Simmons and I are leaving soon. I just wanted to say goodbye before we left, make sure you won’t unravel without her.” 

“Oh, yeah. No. I’ll be fine.” He looked up at her, his eyes slightly blank, his brain clearly still processing whatever it was he’d been tinkering with when she’d interrupted him. “Thanks for checking, though.. Bye.” He shook her hand awkwardly, his grip fairly limp, and went right back to work. 

Skye laughed to herself as she walked out of the lab and to the kitchen, where she ran into Mack, Hunter, and Bobbi. There she learned that it would be May flying her and Simmons out to Boston, so she gave her goodbyes to the trio and then went to find Trip. 

“C’mon, girl. Bring it in.” He opened his arms for her after setting down the Playstation controller and standing up. 

Skye hugged him rather eagerly and let herself take a few deep breaths to relax, knowing this was probably the last time for a while that she’d feel so completely safe and at ease. She pulled away and looked up at him, her eyes slightly misty. She blinked hard a few times to compose herself. “Sorry. I just… haven’t been away this long from S.H.I.E.L.D. since I joined.” 

“It’s all good. You’ve got this. Besides, Agent Simmons will be right there with you.” He gave Skye a look that she didn’t quite understand, and she bid him goodbye. 

Fitz and Simmons exchanged goodbyes privately, and Simmons gave everyone hugs goodbye before going to meet Skye in the hangar, where she and May were already waiting. Their bags had been loaded onto the QuinJet, and everything was ready to go. 

“You two ready?” May asked quietly after looking both of them over. 

Skye nodded and held her hands close to her body, her jacket covering her like a safety blanket. 

Simmons nodded as well, exhaling shakily. “As I’ll ever be.” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again, comments don't make me write faster but they make me happy deep inside


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Simmons move into their house in Boston and have a minor squabble on their first day, but they don't go to bed angry.

“You two buckled in?” May asked from the front of the QuinJet, flipping some switches overhead to get it ready to fly. 

“Yup!” Skye and Simmons called in unison, looking at each other slightly awkwardly before quickly averting their gazes. 

Skye pushed a piece of hair behind her ear and fidgeted with her buckle. Her left thumb stroking over the cool metal, she let her brain wander to wherever it pleased. She lost herself for a bit, only coming back when May told them that they’d be touching down in Boston within the hour. 

Simmons had a notebook open on her lap and was writing out what appeared to be a tentative schedule for herself and a list of things she needed to accomplish. Her cursive was small and neat, but the shakes of the QuinJet meant that some of her letters weren’t shaped exactly the way she would’ve liked and that sometimes her pen slipped, creating ugly black lines in her words. 

Skye couldn’t quite make out what was being written, but she got enough to realize that she was absolutely not ready to live in a house with someone who thought that no less than an hour a day should be dedicated to simply making and consuming tea. On the Bus it had been different because she’d had Fitz, who was equally dedicated to that cause, to serve as a buffer. 

They touched down a bit later, Skye’s stomach turning uncomfortably. She’d never admit it aloud, but takeoffs and landings always made her nauseous. She got up, breathing through her mouth, and grabbed her bag. May simply nodded at both her and Simmons while double checking the vehicle that they’d be driving to the house. She handed Skye the keys and bid them both a final “good luck.” before getting back into the QuinJet and taking back off. 

Skye got into the driver’s seat and adjusted her seat and mirrors before buckling in and starting the car, which was a white 2014 Toyota Prius. She let Simmons control the radio, which was a huge mistake on her part as they wound up listening to classical music the whole way to the house. When they got there, Skye hastily turned the car off so she wouldn’t have to listen to any more classical. She grabbed the keys from the ignition and unlocked the front door to the house, taking a deep breath before walking in. 

She set her duffel bag on the floor next to the front door, while Simmons took hers up to one of the 3 bedrooms the house had. Skye got herself a glass of water and sat at the bar in the kitchen, looking out at the backyard. This was easily the nicest place she’d ever stayed in, and she felt rather out of place. 

Simmons immediately began unpacking her things, her clothes easily filling half the dresser and closet already. She sighed happily and grabbed a set of sheets from the hall closet, making the bed and then going into the bathroom. It’d been a couple hours on the QuinJet and then another hour and a half in the car, and she could only be expected to hold it for so long. The hand soap smelled like vanilla, and it made her smile. She made her way back downstairs with her favorite box of tea in hand, smiling brightly when she saw Skye settled down into a chair in the living room, playing a game on her phone it seemed. 

“Everything alright? Settling in?” She asked as she hooked up the electric kettle and filled it. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Skye said absently, still playing her game. She wasn’t paying attention in the slightest. 

Simmons laughed and shook her head a couple of times, waiting patiently for the water to boil. She grabbed a mug and held it in both her hands, thumbing over the front of it while she thought. “We need to go to the supermarket… There’s no milk. There are all the nonperishables we could ever wish for, but we’ll need things for lunches and dinners… I’ll make a list!” She set the empty mug on the counter before grabbing a notepad from the desk in the office and began making a list. She knew Skye couldn’t really cook, though she planned to rectify that while on this mission, so she planned for them to eat mostly pre-prepared things for dinner: frozen pizza, lasagna, chicken tenders, freezer meals, etc. 

Skye got up and peeked over her shoulder as she wrote, Simmons’ mug of steaming tea in her hands. “Could you get any more British? The first thing you do is start a pot of tea.” Skye teased and handed her the mug, their fingers brushing just enough. 

“Oh, honestly,” Simmons muttered with a well-timed eye roll. “Forgive me for finding it cold and wanting a warm beverage.” She finished up her list and tore off the page. 

Skye picked it up and read it over in its entirety. “Looks good. Do you want to come with me? Or would you prefer to stay here and get used to things? I know how you are about new places…” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She asked, her eyebrows furrowing and her mouth turning downward slightly. 

“Just that you don’t like change. It’s not a comment about your disability, it’s just a character trait,” Skye defended. 

“Yeah, a character trait caused by my autism spectrum condition!” She finished up her tea and went to wash her mug, calming down slowly. 

Skye stood there, holding the grocery list, feeling like the biggest fuck-up in the world. She took some time to unpack her things into the bedroom she’d called dibs on the minute she saw photos of the interior of the house, though it wasn’t as satisfying as she’d hoped. Less than six hours into their mission, and she’d already managed to cause a fight. That was pretty close to a record, even for her. 

Simmons knocked shyly on the doorframe, hiding most of her body from view accidentally. “I wanted to apologize. You’re right, I highly dislike change. It stresses me out, as evidenced by the fact that I snapped at you when you were only trying to be kind…” She trailed off for a minute, drumming her fingers on her thigh. “Anyways. I’m sorry, Skye, and I would love to go to the supermarket with you if you’ll have me.” She smiled apprehensively. 

“Of course I’ll have you, Simmons.” Skye smiled and got up, pulling on her leather jacket since it was getting chilly with the sun beginning to set. “You wanna drive?” She asked teasingly, waving the keys. 

“Honestly, I don’t know why you won’t let me. It’s not like I’m a  _ bad _ driver.” 

“When was the last time you operated a vehicle? And in what country was that?” 

“You… may have a point. It was a few years ago, and it was in England.” Simmons opened the front door and shut and locked it behind them as Skye went down to the car and got it started. 

“I’m not listening to classical again. Pick something better,” she said as she pulled out of the driveway. 

They returned about an hour later with enough groceries to last them for a couple of weeks and some things that weren’t necessarily essential but would be nice to have, like a few different kinds of chocolate. They unloaded everything before Skye decided she needed a workout if she’d be able to sleep, so she went down to the basement and ran a few miles before going a couple rounds with the heavy bag and cooling down with another mile. She went to take a shower, but found that Simmons was using the upstairs bathroom, so she had a big glass of water on her way to the downstairs one with her things. For some reason, learning that Simmons sang in the shower brought a smile to her face. She showered quickly, tied her hair up for the night, changed into an oversized tee shirt and leggings, and curled up in her bed, feeling the familiar sinking feeling in her chest and stomach that came when she realized she was alone. 

Simmons stayed up for a while after her shower, double and triple checking the security on the house and poking her head into Skye’s room to make sure she was okay, smiling slightly when she saw that she was asleep. She closed her door very gently as to not wake her and made her way back to her own bedroom, falling asleep easily knowing that Skye was safe. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos and comments make me very very very happy :)))

Skye gasped. At the sound of someone knocking on her front door, she’d jumped, causing the piping hot coffee in her mug to slosh out of the cup and onto her hand. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she muttered under her breath and rushed to the sink to put her hand under cold water. “Coming!” She yelled towards the front door, her left hand hastily wrapped in a wet dish towel to keep the water over the burn. She opened the door with a big smile, not surprised to recognize the couple looking at her. 

“Hi! I’m Jane, and this is my husband Derek. We saw you move in the other day, and we just wanted to stop by and introduce ourselves,” the woman said. She was petite and blonde, and her voice was almost annoyingly high and perky. Skye rolled her eyes internally. 

“Amelia,” Skye said with a small smile and reached out to shake Jane’s hand. She then moved to shake Derek’s, but realized he was holding a bottle of wine in one hand and she wasn’t prepared to have to use her non-dominant hand to shake, so she just waved awkwardly at him. 

“We, uh, weren’t sure if you two were planning on throwing a housewarming party or anything, but we wanted to give you a little “welcome to the neighborhood” gift.” His voice was low, and the cadence of his speech reminded her of someone, but she couldn’t put her finger on who it was. He handed her the bottle and rubbed Jane’s shoulder with his other hand. 

“Oh my god, you shouldn’t have!” Skye gasped and took the bottle, holding it gently. “Let me go set this down inside, and I’ll go see where Poppy is so you two can meet her.” She smiled and gestured to the set of chairs on the porch for them to sit in. “Can I get you two anything while I’m inside? Tea? A beer?” The nuns had put a huge emphasis on manners at St. Agnes, and that was a hard habit to break: her constant people-pleasing and going out of her way to make them comfortable. 

“A water would be lovely,” Jane said with a small smile as she took a seat in the chair to the left. 

“I’m okay, but thank you.” Derek sat down in the one to the right and smiled at his wife while she wasn’t paying attention to him. 

“One water, coming right up,” Skye teased and went inside. The minute she’d closed the front door, she leaned against it and let out a heavy sigh. She set the bottle of wine down on the bar in the kitchen and went into the office to fetch Simmons. 

“Who was at the door?” She asked while she flipped through one of their mission files on her tablet. 

“Neighbors. The first of many, I assume. Come on, I said I’d bring you down to meet them.” 

Simmons groaned exaggeratedly but followed Skye back into the kitchen, where she got herself a water as well as one for Derek, even though he’d claimed to not want one, she didn’t want to seem like a bad hostess. Skye carried two out as well and closed the door behind herself as Simmons had gone out first. 

“Hi, I’m Poppy,” Simmons said cheerily and set the waters on the porch table. “Amelia said you didn’t want one, but I don’t want you to feel left out.” She took a seat on the couch next to Skye, so close their thighs were almost touching. 

Jane and Derek thanked them simultaneously before making small talk. They didn’t have any children yet but were trying to conceive, and both Skye and Simmons expressed their sympathies when Jane said it wasn’t as easy as they’d been hoping for. 

Eventually the conversation turned to work, and neither woman was surprised to learn that both of them were employed by the same company that they’d been sent to infiltrate. After all, the intelligence they’d been given had said that most of the residents in this neighborhood were affiliated with that company in some fashion. Jane worked as an aerospace engineer, while Derek worked in marketing, meaning the conversation hit a lull after that as neither of those was a field that either Skye or Simmons had any particular expertise in. 

The couple made a bit of an awkward exit, with Skye thanking them again for the bottle of wine and promising that they’d pop over to their place to see it as soon as they were more settled into their home. 

Simmons carried the empty glasses inside and immediately put them in the dishwasher, the exact opposite of how Skye dealt with dishes. She’d let them pile up in the sink until it was too dangerous to stack another one up and only then would she run the dishwasher. She dealt with her laundry in a similar way, leaving it all on her floor until Sunday’s, when she picked up all her dirty clothes and put them in her hamper and then washed them all at once. Simmons could never. 

Skye opened the bottle of wine as soon as they were alone again, pouring herself a fairly sizable amount and taking it over to the couch, where she took her time sipping it and half-watching the TV. 

Simmons started to prepare dinner for them both, which was spaghetti bolognese with steamed green beans and low fat garlic bread, and called Skye to set the table. She had to remind her three times before she finally did it, but she tried to be patient and remember that Skye’s brain worked very differently from her own even though ADHD and autism were closely related. 

When they sat down at the table, Simmons was able to see clearly the burn on Skye’s hand and wrist. “What happened?” She asked worriedly, got up, and gingerly held her hand still while she examined it. 

“Oh, it’s nothing. The doorbell rang and startled me, and I had a mug of coffee in my hand and it splashed on me. I think I’m ok, though.” Skye shrugged and shoveled a few forkfuls of the food into her mouth. 

“Nonsense, this is a second degree burn! You have to let me treat it….” She dragged Skye up and into the bathroom, where she immediately went for the first aid kit. She put antibacterial ointment on Skye’s burn and wrapped it in gauze, “tsk”ing occasionally. 

“Thank you,” Skye finally said when she’d finished. She held her arm close to her chest, protecting her injured hand. “It… means a lot to me that you care.” 

“Why wouldn’t I care? You’re one of my closest friends.” Simmons smiled slightly and put the first aid kit back in the cabinet. 

“I just… for most of my life, nobody cared. I’m still not used to having people in my corner. Coulson, May, Trip, Fitz…. you.” She smiled back and went back to the table. She finished eating and continued to sit there until Simmons finished her own meal, at which point she got up and helped her finish loading the dishwasher. 

“I’m going to work out, and then I’ll come back up here. Do you want to play a game after I’m back?” Skye asked shyly. 

“I may actually join you…. I could use a run.” Simmons smiled widely and put a pod of dish soap in its little slot, then shut the dishwasher and poked the buttons to start it. “What game? Nothing too long, I hope… I planned to be in bed by 9:30.” 

“Uno, maybe?” Skye shrugged. 

“Sounds good to me. I’ll see you downstairs.” She waved awkwardly and went to go change. By the time she’d changed her clothes and gone down to the basement, Skye was already in the middle of a round with the heavy bag. She started her run and finished about half an hour later, her muscles pleasantly sore and her heart pounding. 

Skye smiled and grabbed her water bottle before heading back upstairs and taking a quick shower. Simmons did the same and met her downstairs at the living room table, where she was trying her hardest to shuffle the deck of cards. She couldn’t get it right and had a feeling it was because her hands weren’t big enough to handle the whole deck at once, but she was too stubborn to split it into two more manageable pieces. Simmons watched from the doorway, leaning against it slightly. 

“You know, it’d be easier if you split the deck…” She walked slowly over to her and sat down on the couch across the table from her. 

“Stop. I can do this.” Skye focused harder, her tongue poking out of her mouth slightly as she tried to concentrate. She finally got it, resulting in a fist pump and an exclaimed “Yes!”. 

Simmons laughed and watched her before grabbing the deck from her and dealing 7 cards to each of them. Skye won the first game, but Simmons won the last two, at which point Skye said she was done and went to turn in for the night after cleaning up the cards and checking to make sure all the doors and windows were locked. She yawned and dragged herself up the stairs, pausing to turn the lights off downstairs. She fell asleep quickly to the white noise playing through her earbuds. 

Simmons stayed up for a while, making herself a mug of tea and catching up on the latest news out of England on her tablet. She checked in on Skye before allowing herself to fall asleep. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> short chapter with nothing of importance other than a small awkward moment involving skye in a towel and fully clothed simmons in a hallway

Shortly after waking up and dragging herself out of bed with some miserable mumbles about how she hated being up this early (5:00), Skye went down to the basement and worked out. She warmed up with a 15 minute jog on the treadmill, then worked her upper body and core for a combined half an hour, and then cooled down with 15 minutes of yoga. After that, she was sweaty but wide awake. She went up to the kitchen and started making a pot of coffee so it’d be ready by the time she was finished with her morning shower. 

On her way to the bathroom, she gingerly opened Simmons’ door and poked her head in. The other woman’s bed was made, and she was nowhere to be found. Skye frowned and shut the door again, her eyebrows knit in both confusion and concern. She shook her head as if shaking the worries away, grabbed a towel from the closet and set it on the lid of the toilet, and got in the shower immediately after starting the water, not minding that it was still cold. 

She showered quickly and dried her hair with a blow dryer, combing through it as she went to get any knots out. She sighed and wrapped her towel around her body, tucking it in so it’d stay up as she walked back to her bedroom to get dressed. On her way after dropping her clothes into the laundry basket in the bathroom, she bumped into Simmons—literally. 

“Oh gosh!” Simmons exclaimed, immediately realizing that Skye was in nothing more than a towel and promptly averting her gaze. “I am so sorry, Skye. Are you alright?” 

“Don’t worry about it, I’m good.” Skye insisted and tried not to look too long at the bit of skin between Simmons’ sports bra and the waist of her leggings. She quickly retreated back to her bedroom and got dressed for work, going with a pair of dark slacks and a white button up top with a dark purple blazer over top since she didn’t know if the office would be cold. She all but ran down the stairs, in one hand a pair of black pumps and in the other her toothbrush and toothpaste. She set her shoes by the door and quickly put the things she’d need for the workday in her purse before sitting down on the couch reading the news on her phone since she had some time to kill.

Simmons walked down the stairs slowly, one hand on the rail so she wouldn’t fall, like always. She was always a bit too cautious about things. She smiled at Skye, trying not to think about earlier, and made herself a mug of tea in a travel mug, the same one she’d used on her last undercover operation. She smoothed over her outfit in the hall mirror to soothe herself and began packing lunches for both herself and Skye. She put Skye’s in the purple polka dotted lunchbox she’d picked out and put hers in the black floral one. She added a couple chocolates into the bag for Skye as an afterthought and zipped it up. “Are you ready?” She asked, her own purse hanging on the inside of her left elbow. 

“As I’ll ever be,” Skye said dramatically and sighed. “First day of school.” 

“I know, I know. I always dreaded the first day of school… until I met Fitz, that is. Then I rather enjoyed them after the long summer holiday without him.” She smiled and ran her thumb over her knuckles absently. 

“That’s sweet.” Skye put her phone in her back pocket and grabbed the keys and her lunchbox. She quickly double checked that the lights were off and that she’d unplugged her hairdryer, despite Simmons’ protests that she’d “already checked all of that.” 

“I’ve got my purse, my lunch, a book, my water bottle, my tea….” Simmons checked off her list on her fingers as she slowly made her way towards the front door. 

“Relax. You’ve got it all.” Skye chuckled and opened the front door for her. “Milady,” she teased. 

“Oh, why thank you! You’re too kind.” Simmons played along, her eyes twinkling with her smile.

She put her things in the back seat of the vehicle and shut the door gingerly before getting in and buckling her seatbelt. 

Skye did the same and started the car after plugging her phone in so they could use it as a GPS. 

They arrived at work without incident, and they went their separate ways after a silent pep talk by each of them to themselves in the elevator. 

“I’ll see you at 5:00, Skye.” Simmons smiled reassuringly and gave her a thumbs up as she walked away. 

  
  
  



	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/53dIfBwMhcl5dZ2IA9ebQ1?si=_ZQHXaVxQoimcnuRrF8WLA
> 
> here's jemma's instrumental playlist that's mentioned!!!! 
> 
> the song that they dance to at the club is closer by tegan and sara :)

At 5:04 that Friday afternoon, Jemma wearily got into the passenger seat and sighed. She’d forgotten how exhausting first weeks were. She’d been called immediately down to human resources to confirm her need for workplace accommodations, and then she’d had to awkwardly introduce herself to her coworkers and immediate superior since it was clear that nobody was quite prepared for a new hire. She could tell there’d be little on the job training, which wasn’t a problem for her as this was well below what she was capable of doing, but it did make for some friction between her and boss, who was seemingly constantly disappointed that she couldn’t catch on to what others were doing and simply apply the same principles to her own assignments. 

It had quickly become clear to her over that work week that she’d be taking full advantage of the well-stocked bar and wine cabinet at the house, and it seemed that Skye had had a similar realization on about Tuesday when she immediately got home and went “Tonight is a night for vodka, not chardonnay” and poured herself a sizeable amount. 

Jemma had poured herself a large glass of pinot noir and sipped it while she cooked dinner to an instrumental playlist that she’d had since her days at SciOps. She brought Skye in her plate and sat next to her on the couch, both of them eating and drinking in silence. When they’d both finished, Skye took their dishes and put them in the dishwasher before stopping in the middle of the kitchen. “That’s it; we’re going clubbing!” 

“Skye, no, honestly, all I want is to sit here and watch the doctor and fall asleep…” 

“No, we’re going. One of my coworkers mentioned this place over on Vine, and we have to go. I need to dance, Jemma…  _ need _ to dance.” 

She sighed and got up from the couch. She finished her wine and made her way upstairs to change into something less “stuffy” as Skye often called her wardrobe. She decided on a strapless black jumpsuit with a sweetheart neckline and her rose gold rose necklace. She put some makeup on, opting for eyeliner and a darker lipstick than her usual shades before having a minor freakout about what the expectations were for tonight. Would she find someone to go home with? Would Skye? Would Skye want to bring someone home? Would she? How would they communicate that to the other person without making it awkward? How would she ask Skye that without seeming like a freak? 

Skye changed quickly into a holographic rainbow mini dress and a bright lipstick and grabbed her evening bag and black pumps. She knocked on Simmons’ door and whined from the outside, “Hurry uppppppp.” 

“Just a minute!” She grabbed her lipstick in case she needed to touch it up later, the bottle of the hangover prevention serum she and Fitz had invented, and some cash for a cab if she did find someone with whom she wanted to spend the night and stuck it in one of her pockets with her cell phone in the other. 

Skye gave them both an hour to sober up before they left. In that time, Skye had found a club she described as “seedy but not  _ too _ seedy” that tended to cater to a wide variety of people, meaning they likely wouldn’t be with anyone they worked with. When they got there and had gotten in, Skye took her time to scope out the best dancing spots while Simmons stayed close to the walls and slowly made her way around the club, unconsciously casing it like she’d learned from Coulson. 

When Skye got back, after what felt like an eon to Simmons, she was more than ready to dance out some of her worries and stress from the week. The music was so loud that she could feel it vibrating up her legs from the floor. 

“Oh my god, I love this song!” Skye yelled and grabbed her arm, then dragged her onto the dance floor, where she promptly dropped it low and got back up effortlessly so quickly that it made Simmons’ knees ache just thinking about it. 

_ Here comes the rush before we touch; come a little closer _

Simmons slipped away and went to the bar and ordered herself an old fashioned, which she drank rather quickly and then went back onto the dance floor with a guy who fit every woman’s definition of tall, dark, and handsome. They’d made small talk at the bar, and she didn’t see it going anywhere, but it was always fun to dance at a club with someone with whom you knew you had no future. 

_ All I dream of lately is how to get you underneath me _

Skye stole a glance at her best friend from across the dance floor before turning her attention back to the guy whose front she was pressed up against. 

_ All I wanna know is, can you come a little closer? _

A few songs later and Simmons was ready to go home for the night. She was getting rather overwhelmed in regards to her sensory processes, and what she really wanted to do was go home and watch a couple of episodes of  _ Doctor Who _ and fall asleep with a large mug of chamomile tea, but instead she settled for leaving the club after getting her hand stamped and sitting on a bench on the well-lit street, looking up at the sky absently while her brain tried to play catch-up and reorient itself in the less stimulating environment. It was there that Skye found her almost an hour later, her lipstick smudged, hair crumpled, hair askew and smelling strongly of the cologne that the guy she’d been grinding on earlier had been wearing. 

“Hey, you alright?” She asked quietly and sat next to her, far enough away that they weren’t touching, as she knew Simmons needed space when she got overloaded. 

“I am now.” She smiled slightly and looked at Skye, her head slightly tilted. She reached out and pushed a stray piece of hair back behind the other woman’s ear after seeing it fall into her face. “I take it you enjoyed yourself then?” She teased and got up, starting off in the direction of their vehicle. 

“Oh my god, did I ever,” Skye laughed brightly and followed her, both of them moving a little slower than usual and Simmons’ steps noticeably smaller and more careful on the cobblestone walkway as opposed to the smooth floor of the club. 

They laughed and talked the whole way home, dissolving into giggles whenever Skye would almost run a stop sign or red light or miss her chance to turn. They both knew she had to be pretty close to the legal limit. Jemma struggled with the key to their front door, which led to Skye making fun of her and both of them laughing so hard that they could barely breathe. 

At the top of the stairs, Jemma found herself staring at Skye for a little longer than she’d realized. “Goodnight, Skye,” she finally said, tucking her hair behind her ear shyly and scurrying off to her room to go straight to bed. 

Skye’s “goodnight, Jemma” died on her lips as she watched the other woman go.

_Here come the dreams of you and me_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again, comments and kudos make my day!!!!!!


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